About A Girl
by Nikcool
Summary: Simone Attempts to live in harmony after her life is shaken up. Sequel to We Belong together.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
  
  
Whitney threw down her tennis racket after losing again to her brother Jefferson. Whitney had not won a game against him ever, and it looked as though she never would win against him.  
  
"Lost again?" Asked Jefferson, all Whitney could do was glare at him. She was one of the world's best Tennis players, yet her stupid stepbrother beat her each and every time.  
  
"I let you win." Grumbles Whitney as she picks up her tennis racket. Jefferson grabs her arm as she heads for the Mansion, and they stare at each other for a second.  
  
"You know I'm a better player than you, I beat you fair and square"  
  
"You cheated" Whitney and Jefferson glare at each other for a minute before Jefferson lets her arm go. She runs up to the mansion, and up towards her room when she stops.  
  
Simone's door was open. Simone, who was her only half sister, lay dying in her bed. Whitney can't help but to peek into the room.  
  
She looked asleep, or as if she was dead. Whitney hoped she was asleep. Simone's bed was a hospital bed, with IV's and monitors attached to it. Her walls were covered in that new chalkboard paint, which was dusty from constant erasing. She could see a game of hangman on the wall. The word was family.  
  
Whitney suddenly felt bad, bad for treating Simone as if she didn't exist.  
  
"Are you just going to stand there?" Asks Simone weakly "Or are you going to come in?" Whitney slowly goes into her sister's room and takes a seat next to her bed. Whitney has trouble looking at her, she never liked being around sick people much, and Simone had 2 IV's coming from her arms, and she lay in the bed with her eyes half closed and her breathing labored.  
  
"Hey" says Whitney finally, wringing her hands together "Um, Simone, I'm really sorry for - "  
  
"Don't apologize, just sit in here with me please, I hate being alone" Whitney grabs her sisters hand and squeezes it. She watches as Simone's eyes close, and fall asleep before letting the tears roll down her face.  
  
  
  
Eve and Julian watch television together, neither of them speaking to each other. They sit two feet apart, both of them sitting stiffly.  
  
They had not spoken more than a word to each other in 3 months, since Simone's graduation. Julian was upset with Eve for pretty much ignoring Simone, and Eve was upset with Julian for not talking to her.  
  
"You know all she wanted was a loving family," said Julian, fed up with the silence.  
  
"I gave that to her, I was her mother her entire life."  
  
"You weren't, you weren't her mother all those years you put Whitney and her Tennis over her, you weren't a mother to her when she stared dating that jerk Robert, and you weren't a mother when she almost died. I was the one who sat with her at the hospital while you had a beauty treatment" said Julian, his voice full of spite. Eve sat there guiltily for a minute.  
  
"What does this have to do with our relationship? Why are you tearing us apart over this?"  
  
"Simone is my daughter. Maybe not my blood daughter, but I love her like she is my daughter. I will not have my wife treating my child badly. You would hate it if I treated Whitney like you treated Simone."  
  
"Julian, I love you, I don't want us torn apart over this I hated not speaking to you."  
  
"Eve, you have to make things right with her before she dies, I don't like how sad she is because she doesn't have a mother. Pilar is away in Spain, and Simone really needs a mother right now"  
  
"She's dying?" Asked Eve in shock "I thought that…"  
  
"She needs a heart transplant, and she has a rare blood type. They give her 6 months at the most." Eve is in shock, she had no idea the situation was so grave. She had no idea that the little girl she watched grow up would die. Eve broke down crying. "All the money in the world can't buy her the heart that she needs."  
  
Julian felt bad for his wife; maybe he was a bit harsh on her. He moved closer to her and put one of his arms around her.  
  
  
  
Chad read the message on Ethan's computer twice before turning to Ethan in anger.  
  
"You told her on IM? What kind of fool are you?" Asked Chad to Ethan.  
  
"I didn't know how else to tell her, I cared about her then...I just want to know if she blocked me, I never see her online anymore"  
  
"What do you mean you cared about her then? You two have a child together, I thought you two were in love" Ethan was silent for a minute as he debated on if he wanted to tell Chad the truth.  
  
"Anna is more Simone's child than mine, and I don't think I ever really loved her."  
  
"Hold up Ethan, what do you mean you never really loved her?"  
  
"When I saw Theresa, I wanted her. She was the opposite of Gwen, and I don't like Gwen"  
  
"Are you saying you used Theresa to break up with Gwen?"  
  
"Yes, and no. I was confused Chad, Theresa was this perfect person, and I had to have her, but once I got her I wanted to try more"  
  
"You had to feel more for her than that, you married her Ethan, you had a child with her, you had to love her"  
  
"I don't know what love is Chad, I know it's not what I felt for Theresa, and I know it's not what I felt for Gwen, I know what love is not, but I have no idea what love is." Chad, who did not respond to Ethan's last comment, signed on to instant messenger. According to his screen Theresa was online. She messaged him as soon as he got online.  
  
  
  
USA ONLINE INSTANT MESSAGE  
  
ITSFATE: Hey, Chad  
  
WHAZUP: Hey Theresa, what up?  
  
ITSFATE: How's Anna doin?  
  
WHAZUP: She's great, I guess. Simone and  
  
Kay have her all the time.  
  
ITSFATE: Don't let Ethan take her, I  
  
can't stand that he is the  
  
father of my precious  
  
daughter  
  
WHAZUP: Theresa, he was your husband  
  
ITSFATE: he WAS my husband, I hate  
  
the bastard right now  
  
WHAZUP: You two have a child together  
  
ITSFATE: GTG, Oh don't tell Ethan but  
  
I'm changing my email  
  
address  
  
WHAZUP: Ok email it to me my addy is  
  
WHAZUP@USAONLINE.COM  
  
ITSFATE: KK Bye  
  
WHAZUP: Bye  
  
  
  
"She's blocking you," said Chad "She hates you and you hate her, Anna is going to be one screwed up girl."  
  
______________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
"Dada. Mama." Said little James as his mother, Sheridan Lopez-Fitzgerald, pushed the stroller down the sidewalk. Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, her husband walked beside her as they strolled through Harmony Park. "Dada Mama bo-ter- fy" said the young boy, pointing to a blue butterfly. James had just begun to talk, and he talked almost non-stop. Sheridan and Luis smiled at each other, and Luis knelt down to talk to his son.  
  
"You're right James, that's a butterfly, and I'm Daddy."  
  
"Bo-ter-Fy" says James solemnly. Luis smiles and nods before taking his son out of the stroller.  
  
"I am going to miss you and your Mommy so much, did you know that James?"  
  
"Mama. Dada. James." Luis could hear Sheridan try to hide a giggle as she watched her husband and son attempt to have a conversation.  
  
"Is something funny Sheridan?"  
  
"Funny Share-in-in?" Asks James, attempting to copy his father. Sheridan can't help but to start laughing hysterically as she attempts to answer Luis's question.  
  
"You and James…" she answers as she attempts to stop laughing  
  
"Me James!" says James defensively. Luis and Sheridan look at each other and laugh. James copies his parents and giggles. Luis wraps his free arm around his wife and kisses her on the lips. James puckers up his lips, expecting a kiss also.  
  
"Oh Luis, I wish you didn't have to go."  
  
"Sheridan, I'm sorry, you know that I have to go, and I will be back."  
  
"Luis..." says Sheridan, pleading with him "Please don't leave me, I need you today"  
  
"Sheridan, I hate to leave you, but I have to go. You know I love you with all my heart, and I will be back in time for that special dinner tonight, ok?"  
  
"I hate that you have to go to work, I hate not being with you." Says Sheridan. Luis puts a babbling James back into the stroller.  
  
"Sheridan, I'll see you tonight, you push the stroller back home, you and James catch a nap and you start dinner, then I will be home."  
  
"Are you sure Luis?"  
  
"There is absolutely nothing that will stop me from coming home to you." Says Luis, leaving Sheridan.  
  
Every day they went through the same thing. Sheridan was afraid that Luis would not come home from work one day, but he always did. With knowing in her heart that he always would come back, she pushed the stroller with James in it back to her and Luis's house.  
  
  
  
Kay looked at her father, sister and stepmother in disbelief. They were the perfect family it seemed. Ivy, her stepmother and Jessica had matching pale blue sundresses on, while her father Sam, had a pale blue shirt and khaki's on. All three of them sat with identical smiles, and seemed to understand exactly what Kay was telling them.  
  
Kay really didn't want to burden Sam, her stepmother and sister, but she felt the need to. Charity, her mother, and the man who was her father were acting very weird, and Kay felt uncomfortable in her house. Campus housing was full that year, because she had waited until the last minute to apply for housing, and she didn't know where else to go. She had not slept at home for 2 weeks now, and she thought that Simone and Reese were tired of having her for a constant houseguest.  
  
"Kay, you know you want to come to the evil side. Look what you did to your own cousin, you sold your soul to get her boyfriend and you sent her to hell."  
  
Eldritch grinned and winked at Kay, as he had an arm around Grace and Charity.  
  
"Your mother would be so proud Kay," says Grace, at least she thought the woman was Grace.  
  
"Come with me, Father and Aunt Faith." Says Charity; using her perpetually sweet voice "I know you and Miguel made love while I was in hell, now we can both have him." Miguel, who doesn't seem to mind comes out of the Kitchen and kisses Charity.  
  
"Come with us Kay, you know you want us." Kay's mind was spinning. Her mother wasn't her mother after all she was her Aunt Faith. If her mother was actually her Aunt Faith, where was her mother? Aunt Faith had died in a fire, could her mother have been the one who actually died? Kay couldn't bring herself to think of what could be, she had to get out of her house. She turned and walked away, without answering them.  
  
She blindly walked to Reese's house and into his arms. He hugged her as she began to cry, and sat with her until she fell asleep in his arms.  
  
"Kay?" Asked Ivy's calming voice. "Is everything all right?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I just keep thinking of how bad things are at home." Kay sits apart from the little family, biting her lower lip. Sam, Jessica, and Ivy all smile at each other and hold hands before walking over to Kay.  
  
"Kay, you have always been my daughter." Says Sam "No matter what the blood tests say, I have raised you as my daughter all the days of your life."  
  
"And you have always been my big sister, even though we fight sometimes, you are the best and only sister I ever have had." Said Jessica.  
  
"I have never had a daughter, no I have 4 daughters, no-3 daughters and Jessica, and I want you to be my next daughter, well I can't take the place of your mother, but I want-Sam, help" says Ivy looking at Sam.  
  
"We want to welcome you into our home and our family Kay, If you don't mind you can have the room next to Jessica's, and we'll buy you some clothes and things tomorrow, we understand if you don't want to go to your old house."  
  
Kay never felt happier, not even when she realized she was in love with Reese, and he loved her back. She hugged her new family, with tears of Joy in her eyes. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Julian impatiently tapped his fingers against his hard wood desktop as he impatiently waited for Eve. He had important news for her.  
  
Finally she came in.  
  
  
  
"Julian, what is it that you wanted to speak with me about?"  
  
"This is hard for me to say, but our marriage is a sham Eve, It must end right now."  
  
"What? No, we talked yesterday, we're going to work things out." Eve was in shock, Julian seemed to be the ruthless Crane he was rumored to be them, he was ending their marriage right then and there.  
  
"I understand you and Whitney's lack of a home, and your lack of a job, so I will allow you to stay in the Crane Mansion, but you and your daughter have to move to the servants quarters, I want to make your bedroom an office for Jefferson, and Whitney's bedroom will be a sunroom for Simone, You have a week before construction starts." Eve stared at Julian in shock; he was being more ruthless than ever. Julian felt a pang of pity for Eve, but then remembered he had to do what he had to do. He could do no less.  
  
"Why are you doing this Julian? Why are you hurting me like this?"  
  
"Our marriage is not legal Eve. TC never signed divorce papers, therefore you are married to him until he is found, you are not Eve Crane, you are Eve Russell, and your daughter is no longer Whitney Crane, she is Whitney Russell."  
  
"Julian, can your lawyers fix this? You have some of the best lawyers, and you can't separate me from my babies, you can't. You know how much it hurts me to be separated from my babies!"  
  
"You will still be in the house and I'm sure that Chad will love you just as much as he does now. "  
  
"What about our marriage? Can't your lawyers make my divorce legal?"  
  
"I'm not sure I want to be married to you Eve, you're dismissed now. I'll see you tomorrow." Julian knew he was being ruthless, but when his head lawyer informed him that his marriage was not legal, he began to wonder if he wanted to be, married to Eve anymore. Lately it seemed that they had grown apart. Julian reached for his brandy bottle, which he had not touched for almost a year, and poured himself a glass. He took a sip, and found it disgusting, so he pushed it aside and began to make phone calls to get his daughter bumped up on the list for a heart transplant.  
  
__________________________________________________  
  
"Gwen Hotchkiss?" Asked Sam Bennett as Gwen answered the door. Gwen stared at him, he knew who she was.  
  
"Yes? Can I help you?"  
  
"You've been served" says Sam, handing her a large manila envelope "Have a nice day." Gwen opens the envelope as Sam walks away, nearly collapsing as she reads the contents. She was being subpoenaed for a paternity hearing. She supposedly had nothing to worry about, Ethan was her son Andrews father. Ethan had to be the father. If he weren't then she would be no better than the girls on Jerry Springer.  
  
She told no one, not even her only friend Antonio, about that night. It was the night before she hopefully conceived Ethan's child and Gwen was fully dressed like Theresa. She had just mastered the art of over applying Eye makeup and had gotten used to having long dark hair. Gwen walked the streets of Harmony, wondering what Theresa would do at night, when a small piece of paper was pushed into her hands. Looking at that paper, she saw a Rave advertised. Gwen had never been to a Rave, but she heard many things about them. She went to the location, in the seedy part of harmony, and knocked tentatively on a large metal door. No one answered and Gwen stood there for a minute, until some kids who looked barely old enough to be in high school opened the door and walked in. Gwen looked around and saw many, many young people holding glow sticks. Some of the young people seemed to be doing a trance like dance, while others seemed to have boundless energy. She blinked her eyes repeatedly, looked around and felt left out, and then a young man walked up to her.  
  
"Hey girl, you ok? Somethin up wit your eyes?"  
  
"No" said Gwen, blinking harder and scrunching up her face "Nothings wrong."  
  
"Hey girl, take one of these, you'll fit right in." Gwen looked at the tiny white pill, which looked almost like a baby aspirin. Baby Aspirin, ha ha, if only she had known then. She took it, and the drinks people offered her and soon she was doing the same trance like dance she had seen when she first walked in. Every time someone touched her, her senses over loaded with pleasure. Before she knew it she was in bed with several people, but she didn't mind.  
  
The next morning she woke up in a sleazy hotel room, alone. That night was over forever now, she had promised herself to never bring it up again, and the subpoena had brought it all back, now she was screwed.  
  
___________________________________________________  
  
Theresa sat in the small LA diner staring into space, thinking of all the stupid things she had done over Ethan. Lying to her friends and family, using them to make her fantasies come true, lying to marry the guy, all of that led up to the latest thing she had done because of Ethan, and now she realized that Ethan wasn't worth everything she had done for him, he wasn't worth it at all.  
  
She picked up her cell phone, which had 10 minutes left on it and pondered calling her brother Luis, but decided against it. He would go crazy if he found out what she did. She decided to call the Crane's house, and she would talk to either Whitney or Chad, whoever was home.  
  
"Hello?" Asked Chad's voice before the phone finished it's first ring.  
  
"Hi Chad, it's Theresa, I really need to talk to you but I only have ten minutes left on my phone."  
  
"Theresa, what's wrong? Talk."  
  
"I really need help, something happened at school, and I can't be here by myself."  
  
"What happened Theresa? Where are you?"  
  
"I ran away from school Chad, I'm in L.A."  
  
"Theresa! Why run off from school like that?"  
  
"I don't know Chad, I want to go back, but I can't right now, I really need to talk to someone."  
  
"Yo, Where you at Resa?"  
  
"I don't know, there a lot of people around here, oh a bus is leaving, it said Compton on it but it changed to- the bus left Chad-" Theresa was not in tears, but she sounded apprehensive about where she was.  
  
"Listen up Theresa, you got any money on you? You got your car?"  
  
"I left school so fast, and my car is missing, I think someone stole it, damn, I liked that car too." She didn't sound too upset, actually she was beginning to sound bored.  
  
"Theresa, go to a police station and tell them what happened, tell them you need to go to the airport."  
  
"No police Chad." Said Theresa firmly.  
  
"Theresa, what did you do?"  
  
"Nothing, I -"  
  
"Theresa, what did you do?" She mumbled an incoherent answer "Theresa?"  
  
"I can't let the police find me, and I will NOT go to a hospital"  
  
"I can't help you if you won't cooperate Theresa." Theresa was silent for a minute "Are there any buildings around you? Anything so I can tell you where you are?"  
  
"There's a liquor store, and a lot of people-"  
  
"Hello this is international cell phone, you have one minute of calling time remaining on your phone, If you need more time please enter your major Credit Card number and expiration date followed by the pound sign. Thank you for doing business with International Cell Phone. Have a nice day :)."  
  
"Listen Theresa, stay alive ok? I'll be there as soon as possible"  
  
"Chad, there's something I have to tell you, I -" the phone cut off before Theresa could finish. Chad pressed the talk button on the phone and immediately bought a plane ticket to L.A. Something was up with Theresa, and he had to get to her as soon as possible.  
  
  
  
Whitney was going to a party at the Country Club, it wasn't just any party, it was a party that her father would read about in the newspaper. Whitney really didn't care that her father had almost killed her half sister, her father had been the one to get her started in Tennis, and she was his little girl.  
  
She had tried on 4 dresses when a knock on the door interrupted her. She quickly zipped her dress up.  
  
"Come in" she said. Jefferson walked through her door. "What do you want?"  
  
"Julian instructed me to tell you to move out of this room, and move into one of the servants rooms."  
  
"What? Jefferson, stop joking, what do you think of this dress?"  
  
"It's no joke Whitney. Your mother never actually married my father, we are not stepbrother and stepsister."  
  
"Jefferson, that is not true, and if it was, why would I have to change my room? My mother and your father love each other."  
  
"He does not love your mother, or you! All he cares about is her," said Jefferson pointing to the wall across from Whitney, the wall that she shared with Simone's room.  
  
"That's not true Jefferson, I know my mother and your father."  
  
"So you know that my father can be very ruthless, listen and you can hear her pleading with him" Jefferson and Whitney are both quiet as they peek out of her door to better hear what was going on down the hall.  
  
"Whitney…tennis courts…swimming pool" Whitney heard fragments of her mother, and then she knew it was true.  
  
"Oh my god, it is true."  
  
"The dress looks great on you."  
  
"I can't go to the country club after this! I'll be the laughing stock of harmony." Jefferson walks to Whitney and stands on front of her.  
  
"I'll take you."  
  
"Would you Jefferson?" Jefferson nodded, then he dared to do something that would probably get him a slap, but since they weren't related he figured it was ok. Jefferson gave Whitney a peck on her lips.  
  
Whitney was in shock for a millisecond, but she found herself kissing Jefferson back. The two of them kissed for a long while, before Whitney finally broke away. "Oh my god, I did not just kiss my brother, no, I did not just kiss my brother."  
  
"We were never really brother and sister Whitney, and our parents aren't even married."  
  
"Jefferson, you shouldn't have kissed me, I have to get ready for the ball, it's in an hour, get out."  
  
'The dress looks great on you, but try this gold one." Says Jefferson, unzipping the back of her dress. Whitney pushes his hands away, zips up her dress, then turns around and slaps him.  
  
"Get out of here you sicko! I LIKE the dress I have on, I'm going to the ball alone, get out." Jefferson begins to leave, but when he gets to the door he turns to Whitney  
  
"My room is always open if you find the servants room too claustrophobic." He leaves softly shutting her door. Whitney glares at the door, and makes a mental note to find an apartment, and a job.  
  
  
  
Sheridan sat on the couch in her darkened living room nervously. She was actually nervous, afraid, and nearly sick to her stomach. Luis was 3 hours late returning from work. Sheridan knew that he was a cop, and sometimes things held cops up, but she called the station house, and he had left at the end of his shift.  
  
"Where are you Luis?" Asked Sheridan. Nothing answered her but the bundle squiggling in her arms. James still hadn't fallen asleep.  
  
"Wear Lu-eez?" Copied James. Sheridan felt herself holding back a tear. She had no idea where her husband was, and she was left alone with her son. Sheridan had a fear that Luis would not come home one day, and that she would be left all alone. James looked up at his mother and his young mind could not tell what she was thinking, but it could tell that she was sad. "Mama?" He asked, his voice genuine with concern.  
  
"Oh James, I'm waiting for Daddy to come home, he's late." Sheridan gives her son a hug just as the door starts to click. It slowly opens and a light flicks on.  
  
"Sheridan?" Calls Luis  
  
"Dada" says James as Luis spots them on the couch. Luis walks to then and wraps an arm around Sheridan  
  
"How is my family doing? You won't believe what happened! I went to Wal- Mart to buy these for you." Luis pulls 12 dozen red roses from behind his back and hands them to Sheridan, "and this is for you" he says pulling out a stuffed dinosaur and hands it to James "And there was the LONGEST line ever. The cashier had to wait to get change, then the man in front of me wrote a bad check so he argued with the cashier. I hope I didn't worry you Sheridan."  
  
"Oh, no Luis, I was worried but I understand, thank you so much for the roses, I love roses." Luis watched Sheridan and James smile, and felt bad for lying to them. He had not been at Wal-Mart all that time; he was only at Wal-Mart for 10 minutes. He wanted to tell Sheridan what he was doing, but she would never let him do it. He found a lead to Martin Fitzgerald, he could feel himself getting closer and closer to him everyday. He knew it was dangerous, but he had to find his father.  
  
"I am so sorry I am late Sheridan." Luis apologized.  
  
"It's ok Luis, I'm so glad you are home, I made dinner, it's cold by now though." Sheridan was happy to have Luis home, even though he was late for the 3rd time that week.  
  
"Eat now!" Said James, who had begun fidgeting, and fighting sleep.  
  
"You already ate James." Said Sheridan to her son "Are you trying to eat up all the food?"  
  
"We have plenty of food Sheridan, he can eat some more"  
  
"He already ate dinner Luis, James and I ate dinner two hours ago, would you please put my roses in water, I'm going to bed now." Sheridan knew she shouldn't snap at Luis, but it was making her a little angry that he was showing up late every night.  
  
Luis found a crystal vase, turned on the faucet and filled it with water. As he did so guilt began to eat away at him, guilt for lying to Sheridan. As he turned the water off he decided to tell her the truth, but not right away. He would tell her over dinner on Friday night. He would get Simone or Jessica to baby-sit James, and he and Sheridan would have a romantic dinner. He placed the roses on the kitchen table, and put his plate in the microwave. When he walked into the living room, he found Sheridan asleep on the couch. He walked over to her, gently picked her up and carried her to the bed. He would sleep on the couch that night.  
  
He sat James beside him and turned on a basketball game. The father and son sat together watching the game; with James mimicking his fathers every move.  
  
  
  
Miguel rolled his sleeve up and allowed Charity to give him the shot. The liquid going through his veins felt so good, he wanted more than she was giving him. Now it was Charity's turn. He gently pushed Charity's sleeve up and shot the drug in her arm. Charity sighed and lay back in Miguel's arms.  
  
Eldritch Crane introduced Charity to heroin, and she loved it from the beginning. Charity loved it so much she shared it with Miguel, and they both were now addicted. Charity and Miguel always did their drugs together, and they stayed high together.  
  
Eldritch stopped providing drugs for them, so they had to get them on their own. Kay had moved out, and left all her stuff there. After Kay left, Charity went through Kay's things and sold all the stuff that would sell to her dealer.  
  
Charity and Miguel lay staring at the ceiling. Faith and Eldritch had left for a trip a few days ago, so they were alone, but then the doorbell rang.  
  
Charity answered it; Jessica was at the door.  
  
"Hi!" smiled Jessica "I've come to get Kay's things."  
  
"Go ahead." Smiled Charity "You know where her room is." Jessica looked around and saw a dump. Dirty clothes, junk food wrappers and dirty needles lay all on the floor. Charity and Miguel were also on the floor, in each other's arms. Jessica stepped over many things, realizing that mostly all the furniture was missing. Once she made it up the stairs and to Kay's room she jumped back, a rat hurried out of Kay's room.  
  
Jessica was apprehensive about entering Kay's room, but once she did she found no reason to stay in there. Kay's room was stripped bare of everything; all that was left were a few dirty clothes and a broken mirror. Jessica ran out of the room, down the stairs and out the door.  
  
She promised herself never to step foot in that house again, and now she knew why no one ever saw Charity and Miguel. 


End file.
